Facebook plans satellite ‘in 2016'

Facebook is to launch a satellite that will provide internet access to remote parts of Africa, the social network's founder Mark Zuckerberg has announced.

In partnership with French-based provider Eutelsat, Facebook hope the first satellite will be launched in 2016.

The project is part of Facebook's Internet.org project, which has come under fierce criticism in some countries.

In some areas, particularly India, businesses reacted angrily to the plans saying it gave Facebook, and its partners, an unfair advantage in developing internet markets.

Internet.org is experimenting with different ways of providing internet to hard-to-reach places.

Eutelsat said users on the ground would be able to use "off the shelf" products to access the service when it launches in the second half of 2016.

Several companies already provide internet-by-satellite, but it is a costly option beyond the reach of most people in the developing world.